Specification Information

Specification Information is the same as Meta information. The rules on Specification level deal with things such as if the Specification has a subtitle, if there is a revision history, or if there is a classification and a copyright statement.

The specification needs a subtitle.

The specification has no subtitle. All specifications are required to have a title, but a subtitle is optional. A subtitle can sometimes contain information about:

What subsystem or domain the Specification deals with;
A catchy slogan that sells the content, such as: "Productive tools for the IT business.";
Additional information that clarifies the title or the content.

The specification needs a revision history.

The specification has no revision history. The revision history describes the evolution of a specification. All versions of a Specification are stored in the database with the same Specification Identity but with different revisions. The term Specification version is sometimes used instead of Specification revision. The revision history contains:

A revision identity, for example 1.1 or A;
A date when the revision was released;
Author or authors responsible for the revision.

The revision history does not contain information on changes done between revisions, other mechanisms exist for this purpose. See more on Changes between revisions.

The specification needs a classification.

The specification has no classification. Specifications can have a classification to inform the reader about how to treat the content. Classifications decide who can view and share the information in the document, i.e. persons who have been cleared by the organization. The following are examples of classifications that can be assigned to a Specification:

Unclassified
Open
Confidential
Commercially Secret
Restricted
Secret
Top Secret

The analysis engine accepts any classification statement, the statement has no meaning for the analysis. The engine only checks that the <rc:classification> tag is present in the XML-document.

The specification needs a copyright statement.

The specification has no copyright statement. A copyright statement (or copyright notice) protects the content from being copied unauthorized. A copyright statement can contain the following information:

What a reader may or may not do with the document content;
What parts of the document the copyright covers;
A reference to a licensing agreement, for example GPL (General Public License);
A copyright statement, for example: "Copyright MyCompany 2026. All rights reserved.";
Any information that is important for the legal protection of the document.

The specification subtitle can be more meaningful.

A Specification Subtitle usually clarifies the Specification Title or informs the reader about the specification content. The subtitle should normally be a complete sentence.

The specification classification can be more meaningful.

A Specification Classification informs the reader about subject sensitivity, and how the information must be treated within or outside of an organization.

The specification copyright statement can be more meaningful.

A Specification Copyright statement informs the reader that the Specification content is legally protected from being copied unauthorized.

Revision number is empty.

Specification revision numbers must contain information. During analysis, the analysis engine discovered that a <rc:revnumber> element was empty.

Revision date is empty.

Specification revision dates must contain information. During analysis, the analysis engine discovered that a <rc:date> element was empty.

Date format not allowed.

Specification dates must have a valid date format. During analysis, the analysis engine discovered that a <rc:date> element didn't have a valid date format. Dates can have the following formats:

m/d/yy (7/21/23)
yyyy-mm-dd (2023-07-25), or yy-mm-dd (23-11-04)
yy.mm.dd (23.07.25)
dd-mm-yyyy (25-07-2023)
dd.mm.yy (24.07.23)
dd/mm/yy (24/07/23)